Young Men Attack Asir Supporters in Salim Salam after Islamist Demo

Supporters of Islamist cleric Sheikh Ahmed al-Asir were assaulted by an angry mob in the Zoqaq al-Blat-Salim Salam area on Sunday.

Around 2:30 p.m., soon after the end of an Islamist sit-in at the nearby Martyrs Square at which Asir delivered a speech, dozens of young men from the Zoqaq al-Blat neighborhood blocked the Salim Salam highway and started subjecting the passing vehicles to identity checks, a Naharnet reporter witnessed.

When a minibus carrying Asir supporters arrived at the impromptu checkpoint, the young men attacked it in a “hysterical manner”, took off one of its doors and started beating up the passengers, according to the reporter.

A number of passengers managed to flee the scene and several cars were seen making a U-turn and speeding off to safety.

The incident lasted around five minutes and the young men quickly dispersed as an army patrol arrived on the scene.

Meanwhile, Asir's official Facebook page said “shabiha from AMAL Movement stopped two cars on the Salim Salam highway that were carrying supporters of Sheikh Ahmed al-Asir who were on their way back to Sidon, and started assaulting them and cursing them.”

For its part, LBCI television said one of the cars of Sheikh Salem al-Rafehi supporters was pelted with stones in Salim Salam.

Earlier on Sunday, hundreds of protesters rallied in the nearby Martyrs Square to demand that trial procedures be accelerated for Islamist prisoners, who have been held in Roumieh prison without charge since 2007, and vowed an uprising and “vengeance” against the authorities.

"We are being treated this way because we are members of the defeated (Sunni) sect," said al-Asir in a speech at the rally.

I may dislike the person but he does not operate a militia. It seems that this assault was one sided. If this continue, however, militias will be set up by various sides to protect themselves. It is time to build a real state where the organs of the state are the only ones allowed to carry weapons. M8 claims that the "resistance" is necessary because the army is weak. Then let us agree to strengthen the army - not to create multiple militias that distract the army, the state and further plunge the country into a cycle of poverty and despair.

Mowaten - Assir from all what I see have bunch of followers who like many (not all and may not be most) Lebanese have individual weapons. Few phone calls and you can get few dozens of your followers with Ak 47. But this does not mean he has a militia with structures, command and control, training, etc... The only one that has paramilitary structures are associated with m8 such as hizballah and the sarayat Al-moquawama that they set up in different parts of the country. You did not tackle the real point of this post - that if you really want a country, you strengthen the army and take weapons from ALL MILITIAS including the Hizb.

Mowaten - Assir from all what I see have bunch of followers who like many (not all and may not be most) Lebanese have individual weapons. Few phone calls and you can get few dozens of your followers with Ak 47. But this does not mean he has a militia with structures, command and control, training, etc... The only one that has paramilitary structures are associated with m8 such as hizballah and the sarayat Al-moquawama that they set up in different parts of the country. You did not tackle the real point of this post - that if you really want a country, you strengthen the army and take weapons from ALL MILITIAS including the Hizb.

To starsky: Foreign militia is a body of individuals that do not report to the Lebanese govt. Regardless if they have clear command & ctrl like HA, as long as individuals, organized militia or whomever have weapons and they are not controlled by govt then they are foreign militias by definition. 2 wrong don't make it right, thus no one else wants to start their own "organized militia" under the banner they they are defending the north, east, west,south of lebanon.

today's flare up of assir is mustakbal showing muscles, showing what it can do if the orthodox law were to pass.
somebody is paying this elf to pay his supporters and to incite strife. probably mustakbal, bandar bin sultan, qatar.
I hope they all rot in hell. And that hassoun joins them with his stupid weapons.

Lol @ you all.. you're just a bunch of ridiculous Lebanese scums yourselves... lacking the minimal education or perception of sociology or geography or even that stupid little book that you were forced to memorize at school [history if you're stupid enough not to realize it by now]. I feel helpless not replying to all of your comments, very constructive, very insightful, very critical, and, of course, coming from the minds of highly intellectual and enlightened Lebanese citizens. I just hope one day you would actually take action instead of reacting to your stupid instincts.

P.S. @greenie: Antoine Saade and his party are theoretically against the Syrian Nizam [that's if you ever considered reading about the people you curse]
P.S. Lebanon First: Really? Lebanon first? do you really think your screen name speaks for you?

you know I actually taught in my classes in Saida youngsters who supposrted Assir as well as youngsters who grew up supporting AMAL... The difference [and my personal views clash entirely with those of AMAL and HEZBOLLA] - but really, the only difference is that supporters of AMAL and HEZBOLLAH do have an argument, while on the other hand, supporters of assir guy make no sense at all.. And I have proof :) its just a bunch trying to make a stand by saying that they are opressed, while their leaders are the leading capital of Lebanon #whoareyoufooling #LebaneseBS #yearight #fakeappeal

starsky...... weapons in every household is a stretch. Most law abiding citizens do not have weapons. Others who have mayhem on their mind have plenty of excuses to get armed (unfortunately). None of my family members (or extended family) have weapons beyond a hunting rifle.

Regardless of wether we agree or not with the demonstrators, it is everyone right to demonstrate peacefully. The army and FSI have done a good job protecting the demonstrators and maintaining order. It is a shame that some men from the Shia community have aggressed the demonstrators.

The way you guys are is shocking. your all brain washed.if you all gave up politics and following a political figure ,wouldnt you be better off? go have some fun man,stop hating eachother,dosnt matter what you say or do,you cannot change what happens in lebanon. what you are arguing about now will go on for years and years.to many different religions and beliefs.lebanon is controlled from the outside and no hezb or mestakbal or christian or druze can do anything about it. all you can do is either live with each other,or kill each other. lebanon is unlike any country in the world. change the way you guys think. your life is passing you by,get over it.and accept where you live.